Boss, Your Ex-Wife is Unreachable Now! novel Chapter 26

Over half an hour later, Willow navigated her way with easy confidence through downtown and pulled up to a newly opened restaurant.

It was lunchtime, and with the grand opening deals drawing crowds, the place was bustling. Thankfully, she'd thought ahead and reserved a table.

"Right this way, please!" The hostess greeted them warmly, leading Willow and her father to a cozy window seat with a wonderful view.

Once they'd placed their order, Klein glanced at Willow as they waited for the food. "How about after lunch we stop by the dealership to look at cars?"

Willow's eyes sparkled with surprise. "Are you planning to buy me a car, Dad?"

He'd spent the entire drive over praising her—how steady she was behind the wheel, how well she handled traffic, how familiar she'd already become with the roads.

Klein nodded, a gentle smile on his refined, scholarly face. "It's a gift. To celebrate your new beginning."

He could tell she'd finally moved on from that old heartbreak, and he was genuinely happy for her. Besides, she'd gone through the trouble to get her license; it only made sense for him, as her father, to buy her a car.

"Thank you, Dad!" Willow beamed.

She could have bought a car herself, but a gift from her father meant so much more.

They chatted for a while, and soon their food began to arrive.

"Professor Sheffield?"

As one of the servers set down their dishes, a young woman's voice rang out, full of surprise and delight. "It really is you!"

Klein looked up, piecing together her face with a name. "You're… Zoe Bellamy?"

Willow had already recognized the girl the moment she saw her, a flicker of shock passing through her mind. Now, hearing her father call out the name so easily, that surprise instantly morphed into caution—and a cold sense of dread.

So this was Zoe Bellamy: the university student who'd falsely accused her father of having an inappropriate relationship with her.

Zoe had a bright, innocent look about her, especially when she smiled—two dimples at the corners of her mouth, sweet and approachable.

She seemed genuinely excited to see Klein. "What are the odds that Professor Sheffield would come eat at the very restaurant where I'm working part-time?"

Willow had never believed her father could do such a thing. She just hadn't expected Zoe to have set her sights on him so early.

Still, better to know now than later—it saved her time and effort.

"Do you think she knows how much she looks like Mom?" Willow pressed on, determined to gather more information.

Klein paused, puzzled. "How could she? I'd never say something like that to a student."

Willow lowered her gaze, gently skimming the oil from her chicken soup with a spoon. "If she ever found out, she'd probably be as stunned as we are."

Klein seemed to ponder this, setting down his fork and sighing softly. "No matter how much she looks like her, it's only on the surface. In this world, there's only one of your mother."

Willow felt a sting behind her eyes.

It had only been an hour since she'd left her mother, and already she missed her more than she could bear.